What are the Thai alphabet letters?

If you want to learn Thai, one of the first things you’ll need to do is learn the Thai alphabet. The Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants and 28 vowel sounds. This is 16 short vowels and 12 long vowels, that’s 72 letters in total! Each Thai letter has its own unique sound, and when combined, these letters create the sounds of the Thai language.

In addition to the Thai alphabet, there are also four tones in Thai. These tones give each word its own unique meaning. If there were no tones, a word could have multiple meanings.

Thai’s Transcription System

The Thai language does have an official transliteration or transcription system (like hanyu pinyin for Chinese) which is called Royal Thai General System of Transcription (RTGS) . This is mainly used for road signs and government publications. That said, a lot of educational resources and websites won’t use the official romanisation and transcribe the same Thai word using the Latin alphabet in different ways. This is due to the use of aspirated consonants in Thai, which isn’t in any other language. It’s important to know that there is no standardised way to romanise Thai. Thai does have one advantage in that there is no such thing as uppercase or lowercase Thai letters as they always look the same.

Here is a list of all the Thai alphabet letters.

Thai Consonants:

LetterThai WordRTGSMeaningRTGS InitialRTGS FinalIPA InitialIPA Final
กก ไก่ko kaichickenkk[k][k̚]
ขข ไข่kho khaieggkhk[kʰ][k̚]
ฃฃ ขวดkho khuatbottle (obsolete)khk[kʰ][k̚]
คค ควายkho khwaibuffalokhk[kʰ][k̚]
ฅฅ คนkho khonperson (obsolete)khk[kʰ][k̚]
ฆฆ ระฆังkho ra-khangbellkhk[kʰ][k̚]
งง งูngo ngusnakengng[ŋ][ŋ]
จจ จานcho chanplatecht[tɕ][t̚]
ฉฉ ฉิ่งcho chingcymbalsch –[tɕʰ]–
ชช ช้างcho changelephantcht[tɕʰ][t̚]
ซซ โซ่so sochainst[s][t̚]
ฌฌ เฌอcho choetreech –[tɕʰ]–
ญญ หญิงyo yingwomanyn[j][n]
ฎฎ ชฎาdo cha-daheaddressdt[d][t̚]
ฏฏ ปฏักto pa-takgoad, javelintt[t][t̚]
ฐฐ ฐานtho thanpedestaltht[tʰ][t̚]
ฑฑ มณโฑtho monthoMonthoth or dt[tʰ] or [d][t̚]
ฒฒ ผู้เฒ่าtho phu-thaoeldertht[tʰ][t̚]
ณณ เณรno nensamanerann[n][n]
ดด เด็กdo dekchilddt[d][t̚]
ตต เต่าto taoturtlett[t][t̚]
ถถ ถุงtho thungsacktht[tʰ][t̚]
ทท ทหารtho thahansoldiertht[tʰ][t̚]
ธธ ธงtho thongflagtht[tʰ][t̚]
นน หนูno numousenn[n][n]
บบ ใบไม้bo baimaileafbp[b][p̚]
ปป ปลาpo plafishpp[p][p̚]
ผผ ผึ้งpho phuengbeeph –[pʰ]–
ฝฝ ฝาfo falidf –[f]–
พพ พานpho phanphanphp[pʰ][p̚]
ฟฟ ฟันfo fanteethfp[f][p̚]
ภภ สำเภาpho sam-phaojunkphp[pʰ][p̚]
มม ม้าmo mahorsemm[m][m]
ยย ยักษ์yo yakgiant, yakshay–[j]–
or n[e]or [n]
รร เรือro rueaboatrn[r][n]
ลล ลิงlo lingmonkeyln[l][n]
วว แหวนwo waenringw–[f][w]–
ศศ ศาลาso salapavilion, salast[s][t̚]
ษษ ฤๅษีso rue-sihermitst[s][t̚]
สส เสือso sueatigerst[s][t̚]
หห หีบho hipchest, boxh–[h]–
ฬฬ จุฬาlo chu-lakiteln[l][n]
ออ อ่างo angbasin–[g] –[ʔ]–
ฮฮ นกฮูกho nok-hukowlh –[h]–
The list of the Thai consonants with examples in Thai.

Thai Short Vowels:

Thai Long Vowels: